Burnham says he told Trump UK will be pragmatic about North Sea oil

Sincity Press Staff 1 day ago 3 min read 3
Sincity Press Brief

Andy Burnham says he told the US president he couldn't ignore North Sea resources when people are struggling.

Although the authorities has not made immoderate announcements connected the issue, Trump has praised what helium perceives arsenic a alteration of stance by the UK government.

In a societal media post, published the time earlier Burnham became premier minister,, external Trump wrote: "The People of Aberdeen, successful Scotland, are dancing successful the streets due to the fact that the caller Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has stated that helium volition beryllium opening up, each the way, the invaluable North Sea Oil!"

This week, erstwhile asked astir his speech with Burnham, Trump said: "He said he's going to unfastened up North Sea oil.

"If helium does that, you're going to beryllium a affluent country."

He aboriginal added: "You bargain a batch of your energy, arsenic you know, from the North Sea. You bargain from Norway and Norway gets it from the North Sea... Norway's got trillions of dollars successful the bank."

"Scotland has a amended portion of the North Sea."

Asked astir Trump's comments, Burnham said: "I indicated successful the telephone telephone that we had a week past Monday that I would instrumentality a pragmatic attack erstwhile it comes to the North Sea, and that is my volition arsenic we spell guardant from here."

In response, Green Party person Zack Polanski said: "Our state is burning. Crops are failing. Thousands person been killed by utmost heat.

"Allowing caller lipid and state drilling successful the North Sea volition worsen the clime breakdown putting much lives astatine hazard and doing untold harm to our economy.

"It's not excessively precocious for Burnham to bash the close happening and perpetrate to leaving unsafe fossil fuels successful the ground."

The Conservatives and Reform person urged the authorities to o.k. much drilling successful the North Sea, arguing it would trim vigor prices.

Last year, Tory Party person Kemi Badenoch said it would beryllium "absurd" for the UK to permission "vital resources untapped".

Some Labour MPs person expressed unease astir much drilling, with Rachael Maskell urging the authorities to "follow the clime subject due to the fact that we person got a clime emergency".

Simon Francis, from the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: "No household struggling with their vigor bills volition spot a penny travel disconnected by drilling much from the North Sea.

"Gas is sold astatine the planetary marketplace prices, truthful immoderate is pumped retired is sold to the highest bidder, not handed to British billpayers astatine a discount."

Sir Keir's authorities had already made concessions, allowing "tie-backs" - accumulation successful unlicensed areas adjacent to oregon connected to already licensed areas.

Currently, the statement implicit North Sea drilling has focused connected 2 lipid fields - Rosebank and Jackdaw, located successful Scotland.

In 2022 and 2023, regulators approved drilling astatine the sites, but that was overturned successful 2025 pursuing a ineligible challenge.

The ineligible process is ongoing, but the authorities volition astatine immoderate constituent person to determine whether to licence companies to nutrient lipid successful the 2 areas.

Other lipid and state licences person been approved successful caller years but stay mostly undeveloped.

If helium wanted to promote much drilling successful the North Sea, Burnham could besides opt to scrap the Energy Profits Level, besides known arsenic the windfall tax.